On-going drought in the West has the BLM hauling water to herds of wild horses in Nevada and Utah and restricting grazing on public lands across the region.
Wild horses affected by drought conditions
In addition to trucking in water and hay for wild horses in several states, the agency is asking federal land grazers to reduce the acres they use for livestock because of drought conditions.
In Lincoln County Nevada, the BLM says it is trucking 25,000 gallons of water, five days a week to four locations because scanty rainfall has resulted in poor-quality forage and temperatures have soared above normal as regular water supplies have dried up.
According to the BLM, some wild horses are not drinking the trucked-in water or eating supplemental hay being provided suggesting that they are in a state of stress. A federal veterinarian is expected to examine the horses soon.
More than 60% of the state of Nevada is experiencing severe drought. In neighborning New Mexico, 93% of the state's rangeland and pastures are in poor or very poor condition, according to BLM.
Further north, in Tooele County, Utah, drought conditions are also extreme and the federal agency is working to keep wild horses in the area supplied with water.
In addition to trucking in water and hay, the agency is asking federal land grazers to reduce the acres they use for livestock.